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Google going for the strike ?

The Los Angeles Times released this story, one which does not come as a great surprise, but which might change the computer market and rattle some stationary on Bill Gates' desktop.

"Sources say Google has been in negotiations with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., among other retailers, to sell a Google PC. The machine would run an operating system created by Google, not Microsoft's Windows, which is one reason it would be so cheap — perhaps as little as a couple of hundred dollars."

On Friday, Google's co-founder (Larry Page) will address their new product range during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. "Analysts suspect that Page will use the opportunity either to show off a Google computing device or announce a partnership with a big retailer to sell such a machine." Further speculations about Google going into the Video industry are also in the pipelines...

So it will be interesting to see how these two Multimedia-giants will try to outperform each other and if Google will be able to set new benchmarks within the PC industry, since they have outperformed Microsoft by miles within the online-space already.

OR NOT

"Google's Director of Corporate Communications is putting the smack down on that rumour from the LA Times that they're working on a Google PC."

So the LA Times, Engadged and of course Gregoogle did a great job hyping this story up. Then again they where writing about possible predictions...and as Mr. Churchill once said: "I always avoid prophesying beforehand because it is much better to prophesy after the event has already taken place.”

So in light of these events I found these interesting quotes about some predictions made a 'little' while ago:

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." -- Thomas Watson (1874-1956), Chairman of IBM, 1943"

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." -- Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

"But what ... is it good for?" -- Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.

There